Solomon's Heart

1 Kings 11:1-6

“1 King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2 from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the Israelites, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you; for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods”; Solomon clung to these in love. 3 Among his wives were seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David. 5 For Solomon followed Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not completely follow the Lord, as his father David had done.”

Solomon’s heart was turned away from God.  The blame for this is placed on his many foreign wives.  Surely Solomon, wisest of all Israelites, would never turn away from God on his own will.   

But, as Christians, we know better.  If the love of God is truly in our hearts, no person, no thing, no force on this earth can ever turn our hearts away from God.  Solomon was a willing participant in these things.

The Apostle Paul wrote,“Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

God gives us His love, and the desire and the will to remain in this love.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)